Description
Book Synopsis For more than seven decades, homing pigeons provided the U.S. military with its fastest most reliable means of communication. Originally bred for racing in the early 1800s, homing pigeons were later trained by pigeoneers to fly up to 60 mph for hundreds of miles, and served the United States for almost 75 years, through four wars on four continents. Barely weighing a pound, these extraordinary birds carried messages in and out of gas, smoke, exploding bombs and gunfire. They flew through jungles, deserts and mountains, not faltering even when faced with large expanses of ocean to cross. Sometimes they arrived nearly dead from wounds or exhaustion, refusing to give up until they reached their objective.
This book is the first complete account of the remarkable service that homing pigeons provided for the American armed forces, from its fledgling beginnings after the Civil War to the birds'' invaluable role in communications in every branch of the U.S. military through bot
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue: John Silver
Preface
1. The First Feathered Recruits
2. Pigeons for Sea Duty
3. Put to the Test
4. Into the Breach
5. More, Farther, Faster
6. A Call for Champions
7. Staying Power
Afterword
Appendix A. Instructions on Reception, Care and Training of Homing Pigeons in Newly Installed Lofts at U.S. Navy Air Bases
Appendix B. Henri Marion's Patent for a Message Holder
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
